BA (Hons) Textiles Design students from Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) have partnered with luxury motor yacht manufacture, Sunseeker International, and recycling and waste management experts, SUEZ, on an innovative creative project aimed at reimagining the future of textile sustainability.
The Designing Textiles for a Zero Waste Future initiative challenged students to explore the circular use of materials using Sunseeker’s luxury fabric and leather offcuts.
The live industry brief, designed by SUEZ, encouraged students to rethink traditional design by creating pieces that could not only be crafted from reclaimed materials but also easily disassembled and repurposed into entirely new items. This circular approach focuses on extending the lifecycle of premium resources and drastically reducing waste.
Drawing inspiration from diverse sources ranging from personal travel to Japan to the peaceful nostalgia of a family garden, the students experimented with a wide range of technical skills, including dyeing, etching, laser cutting, and embroidery.
The final outcomes were both highly imaginative and practical, demonstrating how premium materials typically associated with luxury marine interiors can be transformed into versatile, reconfigurable consumer products.
Among the standout concepts showcased by the students were Modular Fashion Accessories including leather water bottle holders designed to ingeniously evolve into keyrings, wallets, or belts as well as Interactive Interior Textiles such as multifunctional wall hangings capable of being disassembled and repurposed into functional home upholstery.
Sunseeker representatives were invited to AUB campus to view the final presentations, where students demonstrated how high-end materials used across the brand’s globally renowned yachts could be given an unexpected and sustainable second life.
Nicky Coyne, Senior Lecturer for BA (Hons) Textiles Design at AUB, highlighted the immense value of the collaboration, saying, “This partnership has provided a fantastic opportunity for our students to engage directly with real-world sustainability challenges. Working with premium offcuts from Sunseeker and responding to a circular design brief from SUEZ allowed the students to push the boundaries of their creativity.
“By considering the entire lifecycle of a product from creation to disassembly, they have proven that luxury and sustainability can seamlessly coexist. We are incredibly proud of the innovative solutions they presented.”
The collaboration underscores AUB's commitment to industry-focused learning and sustainable innovation, preparing creative graduates to lead the way in eco-conscious design. For Sunseeker, the initiative forms part of a broader sustainability strategy, supporting their ongoing commitment to maintaining zero waste to landfill for fabric materials.
Sean Dempsey, Environmental and Sustainability Manager at Sunseeker, added, “Projects like this really do exemplify how small meaningful changes today can build a better tomorrow. We’ve been incredibly impressed by the students’ creativity and hope our small contribution will inspire them to lead the way in designing the circular fabric solutions of the future.”
